Big bike street cred with a great ride

Big bike street cred with a great ride

Overall Rating
4 out of 5

Drawing on Aprilia's impressive racing heritage, the Tuono is an aspirational 125 with good performance, brakes and comfort. A similar spec is available for less money (Yamaha MT-125, KTM Duke) but otherwise its got big-bike cred.

Ride Quality & Brakes
5 out of 5

The Tuono is comfortable for a 125, with plenty of room for larger riders, and the upright position is a relaxed alternative to the more committed RS125, though the steering isn't as sharp. The brakes, with single-channel Bosch ABS, are superb – anti-lock on the front wheel only with an anti-stoppie feature (which you may or may not think is a good thing).

Engine
4 out of 5

The DOHC 4-valve single doesn't sound inspiring but goes very well, producing the maximum 15bhp for an A1 bike. It's tractable enough below 5000rpm, but delivers real acceleration from 7-8000rpm up to the 11,000rpm red line. Great fun to ride.

Build Quality & Reliability
4 out of 5

You'd expect decent quality at this price and the Aprilia is very well finished – perfect welds on the aluminium frame and steel swing arm, with quality paint and plastics. The RS125 has proved more reliable than its two-stroke predecessor.

Insurance, running costs & value
3 out of 5

As a 125, the Tuono won't cost an arm and a leg to run, but it loses a star due to the high price.

Equipment
4 out of 5

A mixed bag – the Bosch ABS (with radial front caliper), braided hoses and optional quick-shift are all impressive on a 125, plus you get a 14.5-litre tank, some underseat space and a USB charger. But the USD forks and rear shock are non-adjustable and the Mitas tyres aren't the grippiest.

By
Peter Henshaw

Facts & Figures

Model info

Year introduced

2017

Year discontinued

-

New price

£4,599

Used price

£3,000 to £4,000

Warranty term

-

Running costs

Insurance group

-

Annual road tax

£19

Annual service cost

£50

Performance

Max power

15 bhp

Max torque

8.9 ft-lb

Top speed

-

1/4-mile acceleration

-

Average fuel consumption

-

Tank range

-

Specification

Engine size

124cc

Engine type

Liquid-cooled DOHC, 4-valve

Frame type

Aluminium beam, two-piece

Fuel capacity

14.5 litres

Seat height

810mm

Bike weight

-

Front suspension

40mm USD forks, non-adjustable

Rear suspension

Monoshock, non-adjustable

Front brake

-

Rear brake

-

Front tyre size

100/80-17

Rear tyre size

130/70-17

History & Versions

Model history

2017: Model introduced

Other versions

None

Owners' Reviews

1 owner has reviewed their APRILIA TUONO 125 (2017-on) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.

I would and already have recommended this bike to people I know. The best overall feature is its looks as at first glance you don’t think it’s a 125, I think this is the best 125 on the market, definitely worth the hefty cost.

Ride Quality & Brakes

5 out of 5

The upright seating position of the rider and the pillion is very comfortable and is well balanced at high speeds on your A and B roads as well as the motorway it can easily keep up with the flow of traffic, you could last for hours, i’d Say 4 hours at most depending on what the road conditions are like. The front ABS brake is that good you never notice it and both brakes are strong for a 125

Engine

5 out of 5

The power from engine is a lot more than you would expect from a 125, you get speedy response from the throttle which is brilliant especially for young riders looking for a kick with a CBT and A1 eligible bike.

Build Quality & Reliability

5 out of 5

It is a very well built bike for what you pay for it is very high standard.

Value & Running Costs

4 out of 5

It’s not expensive depending on the dealer or garage you go to have the bike serviced

Equipment

4 out of 5

Out of all the different features the Tuono has to offer, my favourite has to be the quickshifter that doesn’t come as factory Standard but it is definitely worth the the extra £100. It also the only 125 on the market with a quickshifter which makes it that much better than its rivals.

Buying experience

I had bought mine from a dealership in Manchester, of which I part exchanged my aprilia rs 50, i received a great deal from them as they advertised theirs for £4,599 and I only paid half that for the part exchange deal.